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Barcelona terror attack: Spain hunts for van driver

Barcelona terror attack: Spain hunts for van driver

Spain mounts a sweeping anti-terror operation after a suspected Islamist militant drove a van into crowds in Barcelona, killing 13 people before fleeing, in what police suspect was one of multiple planned attacks.

Video shows horrific aftermath in Barcelona

Marco Rubio: 'I am grateful to you, Iowa'

Republican candidate Marco Rubio thanks supporters in Iowa, vowing to be back next year as president.

Although opponents dismiss him as an inexperienced overachiever, Rubio emerged perhaps the biggest winner on Tuesday as a three-horse race opened up for the Republican presidential nomination following a divisive contest in Iowa.

In the rancorous Iowa campaign, Mr Trump called him a "baby", but Senator Rubio, a one-time protege of rival candidate Jeb Bush, refused to engage in insults and instead pitched himself as a "unity candidate".

"This is the moment they said would never happen," Senator Rubio said. "For months they told us we had no chance because my hair wasn't grey enough and my boots were too high.

"They told me I needed to wait my turn, that I needed to wait in line. But when I am our nominee we are going to unify this party and unify the conservative moment. It's not enough to just be angry. Anger is not a plan. Anger is not solution."

The New York Times' Jeremy W. Peters wrote that Rubio's Iowa speech "carried echoes" of Barack Obama's pivotal 2008 Iowa address, after the Democrat won the caucuses in a surprise upset and went on to become president.

Craig Robinson, the former political director of the Iowa Republican Party, said: "Marco Rubio is a huge winner coming out of Iowa with a head of steam. This will reset the race. It's a three-person race moving forward."

Republican presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio gave what sounded like a victory speech as he took the stage after coming third in the Republican Iowa primary on Monday. Photo: Pete Marovich

Douglas Gross, a Republican strategist in Des Moines, said Senator Rubio had become the "consensus establishment candidate".

Senator Rubio survived $US30 million ($42 million) of negative advertising aimed at him by other candidates keen to snuff out his campaign in Iowa. The state has a high proportion of evangelical Christians, most of whom voted for the deeply religious Senator Cruz .

Bilingual in English and Spanish, Marco Rubio pitched himself as a unity candidate in Iowa. Photo: AP

Voters also supported his more moderate tone on immigration and his appeals to address societal breakdown. He is bilingual in English and Spanish – he said his story was "the essence of the American dream" – and he could be the first Hispanic commander-in-chief.

Rubio hopes to win back some of the Latino vote the party lost in recent years as it toughened its stance on immigration. A foreign policy hawk, Rubio advocates a tough approach to Iran, the Islamic State militant group and other US foes.

Iowans who supported Rubio at the caucuses said they responded to his relatively positive message and viewed him as the candidate most likely to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, should she be the Democratic nominee.

At a voting centre in Polk County, Avery Van Dyke, 18, said: "I'm for Marco Rubio. I heard him speak and he is great. I like his religious beliefs and his immigration policy. He's in the middle. He doesn't go too far like Donald Trump."

Others backed Senator Rubio because they saw him as the candidate most likely to beat Hillary Clinton. Dave Ruhs, 55, a retired engineer, said: "I like Rubio because I think he could unite us and unite the country."